Flexible loading pan



Nav. 5, 1946.

D. BAILEY FLEXIBLE LOADING PAN Filed Jan. 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Memup yNov.5,194s., I D; BMLEY l 2,410,561

FLEXIBLE LOADING PAN lFiled Jan. 22,-,1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x12/gaga Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNIT ED'. STAT E Siy PATENT' 0F FIC-E FLEXIBLE LOADING PAN Donald Bailey, Puritan lMinen Va:- Appiication January 22, lecifs'eralfivo. 573,911`

(Cl. 19e-14) 4y Claims. l,

The present invention vrelates to new and-'usefulimpr'ovements in ,apparatusused in coal mining; and" more particularly to a loadingv pan adaptedfor loading the loose coal onto a shaker conveyor'to remove the coal from the mineworkmg.

An important ,objectV of' the present invention is to provide meansA for loading the loose coal onto-theishaker conveyor, whereby to eliminate the usualpractice of shovelingthe coalby hand ontotheconveyor.' f

A1 further importantA object' ofthe present invention is to provide a. flexible loading panv adapted for attaching tothe front end of a conventional form of shaker conveyor and adapted for moving one edge ofthe loading panjj under the: Yloosecoal'for picking-Yup the,` coal and transferring the same tothe conveyor; v

A further object'ofthe inventionis ,torprovide a loading panof this character forrnedof` longitudinall-y-v connected sections andN in which the4 outermost' ofsaid -sections is pivotally attached to the' innermost of said sectionsl for limited vertical pivotal movement ofthe outermost loadingsectiori to compensate for" irregularities in the surface of the mine work-ing,

Another objeetof the? invention is to provide Creeperson'L the upper surfacev of the loading pan by mean-s ofk which the coal ismoved rearwardly? onto the shaker!conveyor/during the actionA of theconveyor.-

Another object of'the invention is to provide means operatively connected with a coal cutting mac'hineafor pullingrthe loading pan undervthe loose Vcoal which has been cut by the machine for. loading the coal onto the pan.

An additional object is to'provide means for attachingf a! nexib'le operatingv member to the loadingrpan for pulling the latter transversely of the' mine: working under the `loose coal for` picking up' thecoal and`in which said attaching means.` al'solfuncti'ons as agauge or grader to limitzithesiz'e ofthe-lumps of coal fed from the loader onto the conveyor.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eiiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position on the conveyor, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings 2. forming partfhereof, wherein like numerals refer to' like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View.

Eigure Z'isan enlarged top plan view ofthe.y

loading pan removed from the conveyor.

Figure 3l i's` aside elevational'view thereof. Figure 4' isjabottom plan view. Figure 5`is a fragmentarylongitudinalsectional View'Y taken substantiallyon a line 5-5`of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional'view taken substantially on a lineof Figure 2.

Referring now tothe draWliIlgslin d'etai1,1where.

infor the purpose of illustrationHIhavedisclosedA a preferred" embodiment v of. the invention, A tlic numeral 5 designatesA thev loading pan generally which comprises inner and outer elongated flat scoops 65j an'd 1; v vthejminrierv endA of A the inner` scoopj'ibeing adapted for attaching to the receivingj* endy` of 'aV conventionalv form of shaker conveyor designated generally atll, the loading pan being attached to the conveyor by means'goi rivets, boltsor the like 9 so that' the loading pan -eitend's longitudinally outwardly beyond lthe receiving endL of thev conveyor. The conveyor 8 "is-adapted to `f swing horizontally adjacent the iioor' creatinine-working designated at lll, andv the loading pany .attachedl tothe outer end of` the conveyor likewiseswings horizontally along thefloorpf the mine working, y

Aconventional form of cuttingmachine Il isv employed forcutting the coal,- the'loose coal lying on theY floor ofthe mine being designated atj l2.- Thellonigitudinal edges of the innery and outer SGOo15S' 6 and? ati the Sidetherof remote themachihell are provided? with upstanding flanges I3, while the opposite longitudinal edgesV` ofI the scoops', arid' which constitute-the front edges` thereof; have' toothed blades IQ-lsecured to the under side thereof by means of' rivets lori the lik'eVv l5, the blades lll faf'iilitating' the move-'1 mentnofrlthesccops .underthe loose coal-I 2v during the horizontaliswinging2 movement@ of thef`con=- veyor and the loading pan.

The inner edge of the outer scoop section 1 overlies the outer edge of the inner scoop section t, as will be apparent from=an inspection of Figure 5 of the drawings, and the adjacent ends of the sections of the scoops are rolled, as indicated at It and Il to provide transversely disposed parallel bearings for receiving the legs I3 of a U-shaped hinge pin I9, whereby to provide limited vertical pivotal movement of the outer scoop section Tl relative to the inner scoop sectiOh 6.

A bar 20 extends longitudinally at the rear surface of the anges I3, the bar having its ends pivoted to the flanges of the respective scoop sections by means of pins or the like 2 l.

A combination grader and hook includes a vertical leg portion 22 which is attached to the rear of the flange i3 of the inner scoop section 6, the leg 22 being provided at its upper end with a horizontally arranged portion 23 extending transversely of the loading pan and having a hook 24 formed at its free end.

A cable or other flexible member 25 is attached to the hook 24 for winding about a drum 2B carried by the cutting machine l l.

The upper surfaces of the scoop sections 6 and 'l are formed with Creepers 21 by means of which coal loaded onto the loading pan will be moved inwardly onto the conveyor.

In the operation of the device and with the loading pan 5 attached to the front end ofthe shaker conveyor 8 in a manner as illustrated in Figure l of the drawings, the loading pan may be manually pushed or pulled by the cable 25 laterally of the mine working under the loose coal I2, whereby the coal will be picked up by the toothed blades I4 at the front longitudinal edges of the scoop sections 6 and 'i and through the operation of the shaker conveyor 8 in the usual manner will be moved rearwardly onto the conveyor for removal from the mine in the usual manner.

The pivotal connection of the outer scoop section 1 of the loading pan wiil permit vertical pivotal movement of said outer section to compensate for irregularities in the floor of the mine working.

`During the rearward movement of the coal along the loading pan, the gauge 23 will function as a grader for limiting the size of the lumps of coal passing rearwardly of the loading pan onto the conveyor.

VIn view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the apparatus will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed description thereof is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is susceptible of certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A loading pan of the class described comprising an elongated scoop adapted for attaching to the outer end of a shaker conveyor for horizontal swinging movement with said conveyor, an upstanding ange on one longitudinal edge of said loading pan, the other longitudinal edge of the pan being open and adapted to receive loose coal onto the pan upon a lateral movement of the pan under loose coal in a mine working, and a grader carried by said ange and extending transversely of the pan in spaced relation above the bottom thereof.

2. A loading pan of the class described adapted for attaching to the front end of a shaker conveyor for horizontal swinging movement with said conveyor, an upstanding ilangeon one longitudinal edge of said pan, the other longitudinal edge of the pan being open to facilitate movement of the said sections under loose coal in a mine working during lateral swinging movement of the loading pan in said working, and a combined cable-attaching hook and grader carried by the flange and extending transversely of the pan and adapted for attaching a power-operated cable thereto for dragging the pan horizontally under the coal. i

3. A loading pan of the class described and comprising inner and outer elongated scoop sections adapted for attaching in longitudinally extended relation to the front end of a shaker conveyor for horizontal swinging movement with said conveyor, means pivotally attaching the outer scoop section to the inner scoop section, upstanding flanges on one longitudinal-edge of said scoop section, toothed blades at the other longitudinal edge of said scoop section and adapted to facilitate movement of the said sections under loose coal in a mine working during lateral swinging movement of the loading pan in said working,

`Creepers formed on the upper surface of said scoop sections for movement of the coal rearwardly onto the conveyor during operation of the latter, and a grader carried by one of said scoop sections.

4. A loading pan of the class described and comprising inner and outer elongated scoop sections adapted for attaching in longitudinally extended relation to the front end of a shaker conveyor for horizontal swinging movement with said conveyor, means pivotally attaching the outer scoop section to the inner scoop section, upstanding flanges on one longitudinal edge of said scoop section, toothed blades at the other longitudinal edge of said scoop section and adapted to facilitate movement of the said sections under loose coal in a mine working during lateral swinging movement of the loadingpan in said Working, creepers formed on the upper surface of said scoop sections for movement of the coal rearwardly onto the conveyor during operation of the latter, a grader attached to one of said scoop sections and comprising a horizontal bar'extending transversely above said scoop section, and Vmeans carried by the grader for attaching a power-operated cable thereto for swinging the loading pan and the conveyor laterally of a mine working under loose coal on the floor thereof,

DONALD BAILEY. 

